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Ufc 35 – Randleman Vs. Babalu, Liddell Vs. Suloev

Two UFC veterans return to the Octagon on Friday, January 11th, as Kevin "The Monster" Randleman takes on Renato "Babalu" Sobral at UFC 35: Throw Down. Randleman last fought in the UFC on May 4th at UFC 31: Locked and Loaded. Babalu’s last appearance was at UFC 28: High Stakes in November 2000, as a heavyweight. He is now dropping down to 205 pounds to go after the light heavyweight title.

In another light heavyweight bout, Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell will take on Russian newcomer Amar Suloev. Liddell last fought at UFC 33: Victory in Vegas, on September 28th, defeating Murilo Bustamante by unanimous decision. Suloev is a kickboxer with a MMA record of 36-4, and he has won two 8-man tournaments.

Tickets for UFC: Throw Down are on sale now at MoheganSun.com and Tickets.com, or by phone at 1-800-477-6849 or 1-888-226-7711.

BOBBY HOFFMAN PLEA BARGAIN:2 YEARS BEHIND BARS!

King of the Cage heavyweight champion Bobby Hoffman has apparently accepted a plea bargain that will put the 3-time UFC veteran behind bars for two years.
Hoffman, a former Extreme Challenge heavyweight champ and former member of Team Extreme, was allegedly facing theft, domestic assault and weapons charges. Jailed with a $1 million bail, Hoffman reportedly agreed to the plea bargain on Friday.
It has also been reported that Hoffman failed his drug test at the last UFC… the second failed test in a row. His win over Mark Robinson was changed to a draw after the first failed test. However, the second failed test will have no bearing on the loss to Josh Barnett.
Hoffman was asked to leave the Miletich Martial Arts Center in Iowa about 6 months ago and he relocated in California. The RINGS veteran was then dropped 2 months later from Team Extreme and was given an unconditional release by longtime manager Monte Cox.

From KOTC promoter Bud Brutsman:

THE FUTURE OF THE KOTC HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE

A sport is as strong as its champions and, like many, I was saddened and disappointed to hear the recent troubles of our King of the Cage World Heavyweight Champion, Bobby Hoffman.

Given the circumstances and for reasons of practicality, the King of the Cage organization has made a decision to vacate the Heavyweight Title. Throughout his fighting career, Bobby has been a scrapper, always finding a way to win. His record and his abilities in the cage can never be questioned, but our organization cannot stand behind his recent actions.

Our sport is in a transitional period now, on the cusp of breaking through into the mainstream. While major leagues like the NFL, NBA, and MLB can absorb its miscreant athletes, our sport cannot. Mixed Martial Arts is continuing to fight for legitimacy and we must prove that our sport differentiates itself with professionalism, integrity, and sportsmanship.

On February 9, 2002 at "King of the Cage 12" the vacant KOTC World Heavyweight Belt will be up for grabs. Number One contender Eric Pele will finally be given his opportunity at the championship. We’re looking forward to a great match and a great show and we hope to see you there.

From: Bud Brutsman, "King of the Cage"

From the event’s promoter:

FIGHT NIGHT 16January 26, 2002 at South Plainfield Middle School
In South Plainfield, New Jersey

Montreal (Canada) – At UCC 7 two of the most promising young Canadian fighters will go head to head in a much anticipated SUPERFIGHT. Joe Doerksen had 14 fight winning streak prior to entering the UCC’s Ring of Fury in October’s UCC 6.

He has faced and defeated some of the best in the world and he feels ready to get a win in Canada’s "big show". He will be going to war with former UCC Canadian MW champion David "The Crow" Loiseau. Loiseau is 4-2 in the UCC and is known as an exciting, charismatic warrior by his fans and a feared fighting machine by his foes. On January 25th they will show the world which one is ready to climb the next step to the top.

From the event’s promoter:

Egan Inoue and Philip Perez are outPaulo Filho and Josh Thompson are in.

Honolulu, HI – With fighter safety and health the single most important issue to the organizations that will be hosting "SHOGUN", Egan Inoue and Philip Perez will be replaced for the December 15th show at the Convention Center in Honolulu, HI. In their place will be Paulo Filho of the world famous "Brazilian Top Team" and Josh Thompson from American Kickboxing Academy.

Egan Inoue suffered an avulsion fracture of a bone on one of his hands. According to Dr. Brian Izuka, orthopedic surgeon, if stressed more, it will require surgery and no activity for 4 months. Inoue states, "I’m sorry to the people that have supported me and were looking forward to this fight. I will still be at Shogun on December 15th to support my fighters, ‘Cabbage’, Abe Rodriguez, Dennis Tadio, Berret Yoshida, Tory Windword, and I’ll be there to support the event. I’m still the spokesman for Shogun."

Philip Perez was the victim of a freak training accident, getting knocked unconscious. If a fighter suffers any type of brain trauma where he is rendered unconscious, training, fighting, or otherwise, it is the opinion of Perez’s trainers, Shogun staff, and some athletic commissions that the fighter discontinue activities that might cause further damage for a minimum of 30 days.

Paulo Filho is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt powerhouse with wins over Yuki Kondo and Ikuhisa Minowa and he is ranked #7 in the world according the Mixed Martial Arts Media Top 10 balloting process. He is eager to show the American public his MMA prowess. He will be facing Dennis Hallman.

Josh Thompson is a former All-American wrestler with North Idaho College and Stanford, and a MMA veteran. He also was one of the original-founding members of Team Idaho. Josh is currently Philip Perez’s and BJ Penn’s sparring partner, making him a natural choice as a replacement. He will be facing Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto.

Tickets are on sale now through Ticket Plus, which has 55 outlets in Hawaii. Tickets will also be on sale through JKD Training Systems, Dave & Busters, and Grappling Unlimited. Tickets will be sold at the Honolulu Convention Center on the day of the event, December 15th, after 4:30 pm.

posted by Full Contact Fighter @ 8:00 pm

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